A/N: ok so this basically is just an add on to chapter 1...i didn't realize that i had already posted it, but i like it better full this way. sorry it took so long to update, but i like long chapters for this story (: read and review!

Chapter 1

"Sarah!" Jake yelled. "Come on! Let's go see if Eliot's home!"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I yelled down, checking over my outfit for the 5th time since arriving.

"Come on, your not scared are you? I saw you doing your makeup earlier!"

"Did not!" I screamed back, lying. Truth was, I was scared out of my mind to see Eliot, my kind-of ex from last summer. I ran down the stairs, trying to prove that I was ready to go.

"Yeah, you're totally not into him. That's why you're wearing your pushup bra and slutty shorts," Jake laughed. How did he know about those?"

"Think what you wanna think, let's just go."

The doorbell echoed through the house, but no one came to greet us. After waiting 5 minutes, we tried the door. It was open.

We walked through the opening, searching for any signs of life. The house was a wreck, with clothes and toys thrown all over the foyer. The kitchen was no better, with cookware scattered around the counters. There's no way this is real, I though. The Murtaughs would never leave the house in such a disarray.

I searched for the snooze button, head still buried in the pillows. When I failed to find it, I quickly sat up, wanting the screeching ring to go away. Before unplugging it, I glanced at the time: 5:43, last day of sophomore year.

I lugged myself into the shower, knowing if I didn't now someone else would take my place. As I washed my hair, images of my dream came flooding back to me, reminding me of the day two years ago that still left me clueless.

"Hey," I smiled, slipping my hand into Dan's.

"I'm out," Jake quickly walked away, as he always did when Dan was around. His tolerance of my boyfriend, Dan, was about the same as his of the Jonas brothers.

"Sorry about him," I apologized. I started to talk to him when I felt his hand leave mine.

He turned to face me. "Look, Sarah," he started, and I knew this couldn't be good. "We need to talk."

"Talk?" I repeated, stunned to be given the traditional breakup line.

"Yeah…It's just, I think we should breakup. I'm going to be away all summer, and I think it's just pointless to be all tied up…" I mentally finished the sentence in my head. I think it's pointless to be all tied up when I could be hooking up with girls all summer long.

I choked on my words, barely able to comprehend being dumped on the last day of sophomore year. This was supposed to be one of the best days of the year, not the worst.

Nevertheless, I was determined not to cry. "Yeah," I choked out. "Doesn't make lots of sense."

He could tell that I was upset. "Look, Sarah, I'm sorry. But I'm going to be away at soccer camp all summer long. And didn't you say that you were thinking of getting a job near your grandparents place?"

I could not believe his justification for breaking up with me, never mind him even trying to justify it at all. I did the only thing I could think of: walk away.

"No offense, Sarah, but I told you he was a tool," Jake said to me as we drove home, him in the driver's seat.

I stared right out of the windshield, blocking the tears that wanted to fall from my eyes. I knew that Jake was trying to make me feel better, but it only made it feel worse.

"What kind of guy breaks up with his girlfriend of almost a year on the last day of school? And in the process, basically tells her that he is breaking up with her so he can hook up with other girls?" I managed to choke out.

"Complete Asses. Like Dan," he answered, right on cue.

We arrived home to one of the traditional Baker family meetings after stopping for some lunch. Mom stared us down, silently scolding us for arriving late to a conference we didn't now about.

"Now that everyone is here," Dad eyed us, "we can begin. Your mother and I called this meeting because of an…opportunity that recently arisen."

"Get on with it!" a whiny voice barked from the telephone, and I recognized it instantly as Lorraine, my annoying, 21 year old sister. An outbreak of agreement from the remaining 9 of us at home started instantly.

"We've been offered the lake house again, but we have to decide tonight."

The news flashed in my head. Memories of summers past came flooding back, both good and bad. The last time we had been to the lake house was the summer before last, but when I remembered this morning, I decided to jump at the chance to get away. "Let's do it," I yelled, and everyone turned to me.

"Since when would you want to leave your precious Dan?" one of the twins yelled out. Ever since they had hit puberty, they wouldn't shut up about my love life.

"Since now," I snapped, running out of the room. "Since we broke up."

As expected, my mom knocked on the door to my room 15 minutes later. I was sitting on the edge of my window, looking out to our backyard when she let herself in.

"You want to talk about it?" She asked after a few moments of silence.

"Not really," I answered, still fighting the eventual tears and refusing to look at my mom.

"Okay, well…If you want to talk about it, I'm here. So is your dad, or Lorraine, or Jake. Even Nora would talk to you if you want."

Was she crazy? Suggesting that I talk to Lorraine, who could get any guy she wanted, or Nora, who is so perfect she's never been dumped in her life, or even Jake, who had warned me since the beginning? Or her or Dad, who not only never liked Dan but never liked me dating period?

"Sure, Mom, because you guys would really understand," I responded dubiously.

"You might not realize it, but everyone of those people on those list has experienced just as much heart break as you have," she rebuffed, walking out the door. "And you might want to pack your bags. We are leaving in the morning."

The car ride was long and obnoxious, but all I could think about was getting away. The water, the fresh air…All I could hope was that it would be as good as a breakup tool as Ben and Jerry's.

As soon as we got their, I bounded out of the car, grabbed my stuff, and slammed the door to my room. I just wanted to be alone to think, not to be bothered by any of my countless siblings. The air was still awkward between Mom and I; and I knew she was sensitive enough not to bother me.

However, Jake apparently lacked that knowledge. After 5 minutes alone, he barged into my room.

"So," he started, standing in the doorway. "When's this pity party gonna end?"

I was shocked he would say such a thing. "What do you mean, pity party?" I rebutted viciously, turning to face him.

"This slamming the doors, refusing to help, thinking that just because some lame-ass guy dumped you that you're the only person in this family that can experience pain?" He remarked just as icily. I didn't know I had been that obvious.

"I'm not having a pity party," I spat out, but I didn't want to fight. "It's just…I don't know, this is my first real breakup. With Eliot, it kind of just fell apart, and Matt moved away. I've never been…dumped," I sighed.

He came down to sit down on the bed next to me. "Look, getting dumped sucks. I've been on the receiving end of the that stick way to many times, and it takes time to get over it. But you can't be this cynical. It's not your fault, Sarah. Dan's just a dick."

I chuckled lightly. Jake always knew how to cheer me up, and his sensitivity was practically non existent. "Yeah, I guess…So who are these girls who have dumped you? I need to send them a thank you note."

The next few days, Mom sent us all to the task of detoxifying the house. I managed to act cheery around everyone else, saving my tears for night, but I had a feeling I wasn't fooling any of them.

Jake and I were fixing up the dock when we started talking about the Murtaughs, remembering the day we discovered their disappearance.

"Do you think they'll come back?" Jake asked.

"I don't know," I sighed, remembering the promises Eliot and I had made to come back next summer.

"You ever think about him?" Jake turned and inquired, catching me off guard.

"You mean Eliot? Yeah, sometimes…He was a good friend," I reminisced, hoping to avoid any awkward territory.

"Yeah, a friend you happened to enjoy making out with," he laughed. There went the awkward territory sign; we were already in waist deep.

"Hey!" I complained. "I'm allowed to have boyfriends. Besides, I've caught you making out with one of my friends on more than one occasion."

"Yeah, yeah," he blushed. "I still think you and Eliot were worse than me and Becca."

The first week of summer passed uneventfully. Slowly, I was starting to get over Dan; I was crying less and less at night. I guess my older siblings didn't get the message, though, for Lorraine came to talk to me one evening about my "depression."

"Hey," she had said hesitantly, coming to my doorway.

"What's up?" I asked, letting her in.

"Look, Sarah, I'm gonna go straight to the point. We are concerned for you. Me, Charlie, Jake, even Nora--I think you're taking the break up a little too hard," she lectured.

I sat there, shocked. Had they had some type of meeting to discuss my feelings? Was Lorraine some type of elected liaison? Why was this any of their business?

"Loraine, I appreciate the thought, but I'm not taking it hard," I tried to dissuade her.

"Sarah, my room's right next to yours. You cry yourself to sleep every night. It's been 10 days since you guys broke up. We're concerned," she pleaded.

"What, that I'm gonna hurt myself? Lorraine, I'm fine," I insisted.

"Look, Sarah. You may be getting over it, but there's no use being in denial. I know that this is your first major breakup, and that you guys were going out for practically forever, but this really isn't helping you," she reasoned.

"Well, sorry for not being able to handle it carefully!" I yelled, tears starting to flow down my cheek as I lost my temper. "I'm sorry that I had my heart broken, and all you guys seem to care about is my disruption of your sleep!"

"Sarah!" She shouted out in disbelief. "We are trying to help you," she said as she walked over to where I was standing and looking out the window, trying not to cry harder. "I know this is a sensitive subject, and I can't tell you how long it's going to take or how much it's going to hurt, but all of us went through the exact same thing. We want to help you."

"You've never been dumped, Lorraine. You're the dumper, not the dumpee," I spat out.

"What are you talking about? Do you remember the kid Josh I used to be in love with my sophomore year? We went out for 4 months--longest relationship I've ever had--before he dumped me. For my best friend. They were together for a week. Trust me, Sarah, I know what you're going through," she explained. I never knew it before, but Lorraine actually seemed human, someone who actually felt feelings like hurt and regret.

I wiped the tears along my face. "Sorry," I apologized meekly. "I didn't know."

"It's ok. No one does," she said. I tried to imagine how she pulled it off, never letting anyone know what happened.

She pulled me into a hug, and we sat there for a few moments before a low, ringing sound echoed through the house.

"I'll get it!" I screamed as I leaped down the stairs, eager to escape the dissection of my depression.

I swung open the door, expecting the mail man or maybe one of the neighbors.

Instead, I saw an extremely good looking 16 year old guy staring back at me, skin bronzed and hair spiked up.

"Eliot?" I squeaked out. "What…What are you doing here?"